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Texas Industrial Market · Houston

Houston industrial space for lease.

What's available, what it costs, and how CRECO works the market.

In short: Houston is the largest industrial market in Texas and one of the top 5 in the US — Northwest 290 and the Ship Channel anchor 700M+ SF of inventory, vacancy across the metro runs ~6-9% depending on submarket, and asking rents on modern bulk distribution land in the $8-12/SF NNN range.

700M+ SF
Total inventory
Greater Houston metro
~6-9%
Metro vacancy
lower in modern bulk, higher in older Class B
$8-12/SF NNN
Modern bulk asking
Northwest + Southwest corridors
$10-14/SF NNN
Ship Channel heavy industrial
reflects access premium
$11-15/SF NNN
Flex / light industrial
Energy Corridor + Northwest
+30-60%
Cold storage premium
over comparable dry inventory
Top 5 US
Net absorption (2025)
one of the strongest US markets
6.0-7.0%
Stabilized cap rate
Class A bulk; tighter for credit tenants

Full-Service Brokerage

Who CRECO represents in Houston

CRECO represents tenants, landlords, owners, and investors — for lease and for sale — across retail (including restaurant space and pad sites), office (including medical office), industrial, flex, and land.

  • Tenants & buyers

    Businesses leasing or buying retail, restaurant, office, medical office, industrial, or flex space in Houston — site selection, negotiation, and lease or purchase execution. Tenant rep is typically paid by the landlord.

  • Landlords & owners

    Owners leasing or selling commercial property and land in Houston — pricing, marketing, tenant and buyer sourcing, negotiation, and property management.

  • Sellers & investors

    Investment sales and acquisitions, 1031 exchange replacement property, and hold/sell analysis for commercial investors in Houston and across Texas.

  • Intermediary, when authorized

    When both parties authorize it in writing, CRECO can act as an intermediary between landlord and tenant or seller and buyer, as Texas law permits.

Key takeaways

  • Houston is one of the deepest industrial markets in the US — for tenants, that means there are almost always more options than time to evaluate.
  • Northwest Houston (290 corridor) is the primary modern bulk distribution submarket; the Ship Channel is the heavy industrial / petrochemical-adjacent leader.
  • Cold storage commands a 30-60% rent premium over comparable dry inventory, and the development pipeline is light relative to demand.
  • Build-to-suit pencils across Northwest and Southwest corridors at 25 acres+ for credit tenants needing 250K SF or more.
  • The Energy Corridor is the best flex / light industrial submarket — closer in, with better demographics for office-component buildouts.

Market Context

The Houston industrial market today.

Houston is the largest industrial commercial real estate market in Texas and one of the top 5 in the US by absorption. The depth is the story: 700M+ SF of inventory means that almost any industrial requirement — modern bulk distribution, flex, cold storage, manufacturing, special-use — has multiple credible options. That depth also means the negotiating leverage on the tenant side is real if you know where to push.

Submarket dynamics are distinct enough to matter. Northwest Houston (the 290 / Beltway 8 corridor) is the dominant modern bulk distribution submarket — strong absorption, deep landlord pool, the bulk of last-mile e-commerce activity. The Ship Channel is heavy industrial and petrochemical-adjacent logistics; it's the single most important industrial submarket in Texas by economic impact, and the rents reflect the access premium. Southwest Houston supports a mix of bulk distribution and food distribution. Energy Corridor flex is closer in with better demographics, often pulling double duty as light industrial / office-component for service businesses.

For 2026 specifically: the bulk distribution pipeline that flooded the market in 2022-2023 has been absorbed; new construction starts are slower; and several Northwest assets that traded at thin cap rates in 2021-2022 are now in the secondary trade window. For investors, that's the opportunity. For tenants, the leverage is more in legacy Class B inventory where landlords are quietly running renovation / repositioning math.

Where to Look

Houston industrial submarkets we cover.

Northwest Houston (290 corridor)

Modern bulk distribution

Beltway 8 / 290 corridor — modern bulk distribution, big-box logistics, last-mile e-commerce. Strongest absorption in the metro. The default landing zone for new logistics requirements.

Ship Channel

Heavy industrial + port logistics

Petrochemical-adjacent logistics, port-related distribution, special-use industrial. Highest economic impact submarket in Texas industrial — rents reflect the access premium.

Southwest Houston

Bulk + food distribution

Bulk distribution + food distribution concentration. Slightly cheaper basis than Northwest with strong fundamentals. Solid mid-market value play.

Energy Corridor

Flex / light industrial

Closer-in flex with better demographics. Often pulls double duty as light industrial + office-component. Lower clear heights, smaller bays — fits service businesses.

North Houston / The Woodlands

Suburban flex + R&D

Suburban flex + light industrial supporting The Woodlands corporate base. R&D-adjacent industrial, medical-device manufacturing.

East Houston / Pasadena

Heavy industrial + value

Heavy industrial concentration + Ship Channel-adjacent. Lower basis than the Ship Channel itself; opportunity for users needing rail access at value pricing.

CRECO Approach

How we work Houston industrial deals.

Tenant rep on Houston industrial is where the depth of the market pays. CRECO runs structured processes that filter the 50+ candidate properties down to the 4-5 that actually fit — right column spacing, right dock count, right clear height, right zoning, right truck court depth, right access to the rail or the highway the operation actually needs. Then we negotiate aggressively across that competitive set. Tenants close meaningfully better than the asking-rate average.

For Houston industrial owners, our owner services practice covers hold/sell/reposition analysis, off-market deal flow for acquisition, and disposition strategy that leverages CRECO's Texas-wide investor network. Several recent assignments have closed with 1031 capital from Austin and San Antonio buyers — cross-Texas deal flow is one of the structural advantages of working with a Texas-wide broker.

Investment advisory on Houston industrial works because the inventory is deep enough that there's always a credible angle — value-add on older bulk in a strengthening submarket, stabilized Class A as a yield play in a cap-rate-firming environment, or build-to-suit development with a pre-leased credit tenant. CRECO's role is to match the capital to the angle.

Why CRECO for Houston industrial.

  • Industrial is one of CRECO's deepest practice areas — Texas-wide depth across bulk, flex, cold, and special-use
  • Off-market inventory across Northwest, Ship Channel, Southwest, and the Energy Corridor
  • Direct relationships with the institutional landlord rep teams on the major Houston industrial assets
  • Represents tenants, landlords/owners, and investors — including tenant rep for Houston industrial users (typically paid by the landlord)
  • Owner services for Houston industrial investors with institutional-quality reporting
  • Cross-Texas 1031 buyer flow — Houston cap rates often outperform comparable Austin / San Antonio product
  • Our team works every engagement directly

Available Now

Houston industrial listings represented by CRECO

Live CRECO inventory for industrial space in the Houston area. Tenant-rep clients also get access to every other option on the market.

Let’s find your industrial space in Houston

CRECO searches the full Houston industrial market for tenant-rep clients — including off-market space that never gets posted. Tell us your size, submarket and timing, or call (210) 817-3443.

A lot of Texas industrial and warehouse space never reaches a listing site. Owners who haven’t gone to market, space coming available next quarter, and options we hear about from other brokers first — those are the ones worth a phone call.

Or reach our team directly

Email info@crecotx.com

What Clients Say

Reviewed by the people we work for

5.0on Google · 38 reviewsRead our Google reviews
Zachary Stovall is as straight shooting and upstanding a person as you will find. I definitely recommend you use him for any of your commercial property management needs.

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Mr. Stovall and team are stand up people that do what they say they will do! They are knowledgeable and very capable of assisting you with your commercial property needs.

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“Great company.”
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Houston industrial

Looking for industrial space in Houston?

Tell us your size and timing and our team will send matching Houston industrial options — including space that is not publicly listed.

Zachary Stovall, Broker
Brian Blanco, Director of Leasing

Zack Stovall (Broker) & Brian Blanco (Director of Leasing) — one of us replies personally

5.0 on Google · 38 reviews

No obligation. We reply within one business day.

FAQ

Houston industrial space — FAQ

What are current industrial lease rates and vacancy in Houston?

CRECO's current Houston industrial benchmarks — Total inventory: 700M+ SF (Greater Houston metro); Metro vacancy: ~6-9% (lower in modern bulk, higher in older Class B); Modern bulk asking: $8-12/SF NNN (Northwest + Southwest corridors); Ship Channel heavy industrial: $10-14/SF NNN (reflects access premium); Flex / light industrial: $11-15/SF NNN (Energy Corridor + Northwest); Cold storage premium: +30-60% (over comparable dry inventory); Net absorption (2025): Top 5 US (one of the strongest US markets); Stabilized cap rate: 6.0-7.0% (Class A bulk; tighter for credit tenants). These are market ranges from CRECO's deal flow and published data, not quotes; actual rent depends on building class, submarket, term, and concessions. Houston is the largest industrial market in Texas and one of the top 5 in the US — Northwest 290 and the Ship Channel anchor 700M+ SF of inventory, vacancy across the metro runs ~6-9% depending on submarket, and asking rents on modern bulk distribution land in the $8-12/SF NNN range.

What industrial space is available in Houston right now?

As a tenant-representation brokerage, CRECO searches the entire Houston industrial market for its clients — including LoopNet/CoStar inventory and off-market space. Call (210) 817-3443 for a current availability survey.

Which Houston submarkets are best for industrial space?

Northwest Houston (290 corridor) — Modern bulk distribution; Ship Channel — Heavy industrial + port logistics; Southwest Houston — Bulk + food distribution; Energy Corridor — Flex / light industrial; North Houston / The Woodlands — Suburban flex + R&D; East Houston / Pasadena — Heavy industrial + value. The right fit depends on labor, access, customer base, and budget; CRECO shortlists by submarket before touring.

Does CRECO represent tenants or landlords for Houston industrial deals?

Both — and investors. CRECO is a full-service brokerage, not a tenant-only firm: it represents tenants and buyers searching for industrial space (tenant rep is typically paid by the landlord), represents landlords and owners leasing or selling industrial property in Houston, and handles investment sales. When both parties authorize it in writing, CRECO can act as an intermediary under Texas law. Licensed Texas brokerage, TREC #9014367.

How do I contact CRECO about industrial space in Houston?

Call (210) 817-3443, email info@crecotx.com, or use the Get Started form at crecotx.com/get-started. CRECO is headquartered at 8000 Fair Oaks Pkwy, Suite 100, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX 78015 and works Houston and statewide Texas; a broker responds personally.

Leasing, buying, or selling industrial property in Houston?

Tenants: we filter the market to the 4-5 properties worth a tour, typically at no cost to you. Owners and investors: we lease and sell industrial property in Houston.

Send me industrial options

Sources & methodology

Market figures on this page — rents, vacancy, absorption, cap rates, pricing, and inventory — are CRECO market estimates, as of June 2026. They are not attributed to a third-party research provider or data service, have not been independently verified, and are approximate; published market reports may differ. For current figures on a specific property or submarket, talk to our team at (210) 817-3443 or info@crecotx.com.

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